The San Diego Museum of Art laid off nearly a dozen employees Wednesday in what it described as an effort to stay sustainable as it contends with rising operating costs and an uncertain funding future.<\/p>\n
The 11 layoffs affect departments throughout the Balboa Park museum, including operations, development, exhibitions and programming,\u00a0and bring its staff to 118.<\/p>\n
\u201cInflation and rising operational costs are increasing overall business operation costs,\u201d chief operating officer Kari Kovach said in a statement. \u201cThe current landscape and future uncertainties require the Museum to be prudent and proactive as we reengineer for the years ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFederal funding remains available to arts applicants, but is increasingly difficult to secure and cannot be reliably factored into year-over-year budgeting,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n
The San Diego Museum of Art is the region\u2019s oldest, largest and most visited art museum, according to the San Diego Museum Council. This year, it celebrated its 100th anniversary<\/a> and announced plans to expand its west wing \u2014 an expansion it\u2019s still pursuing, recently starting the design phase.<\/p>\n The staff cuts come amid uncertainty for the future of arts and culture funding throughout the region and nationwide, with federal grant funding being particularly hard-hit.<\/p>\n Locally, San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria proposed slashing $11.8 million of the city\u2019s $13.8 million budget for arts and culture earlier this year \u2014 though $10 million was ultimately restored<\/a> in the final budget following public outcry, with support from the Prebys Foundation.<\/p>\n